Mexico

Mexico, nicknamed El Tri for their tricolor kit, are CONCACAF's most decorated nation — 13-time Gold Cup champions, a Confederations Cup winner in 1999, and World Cup participants at every tournament since 1994. Under coach Javier Aguirre and captain Edson Álvarez, they are one of three co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup.

Mexico played their first official international in December 1923, defeating Guatemala 2–1 in Mexico City, and were among the pioneering nations at the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay. The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol was formally founded in 1927, and through the mid-20th century El Tri established themselves as the dominant force in the CONCACAF region, winning the CONCACAF Championship three times before the era of the Gold Cup.

The most celebrated period of Mexican football came during the World Cup editions hosted on home soil, in 1970 and again in 1986, when the team reached the quarter-finals on both occasions. The 1986 campaign in particular stands out: Mexico advanced past the group stage and knocked out Bulgaria before falling on penalties to West Germany. Three years later, in the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, Mexico became the first CONCACAF nation to win a global FIFA competition, beating Brazil 4–3 in the final.

Since 1994 Mexico have qualified for every World Cup, building a record of sixteen consecutive appearances as of 2026, though advancing beyond the Round of 16 has remained an elusive goal. El Tri's regional dominance is reflected in their 13 Gold Cup titles, and in 2025 they added the CONCACAF Nations League to their trophy cabinet. As co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup alongside the United States and Canada, Mexico will play some of their group matches at the iconic Estadio Azteca.